News about reptiles and amphibians. This may be news from herpetologists, organizations, but also from private persons. Everyone is welcome to send me some news about the protection, abusing, mistreatment, discoveries, etc., of these fascinating animals .

dinsdag 1 mei 2012

Man sentenced to 21 months in prison for smuggling turtles from Japan to US in snack boxes

By Associated Press, Published: April 30, 2012

LOS ANGELES — A man was sentenced
to nearly two years in prison Monday for smuggling dozens of live
turtles and tortoises from Japan into the U.S. by hiding them in snack
food boxes.
Atsushi Yamagami was given 21 months in prison and ordered to
pay more than $18,000 in fines after pleading guilty in August to one
felony count of smuggling. He could have faced a maximum sentence of 20
years.

In a letter to U.S. District Judge George King, Yamagami apologized and promised never to engage in animal smuggling again.
“I am extremely ashamed and remorseful about my actions,” he wrote.
Federal
agents arrested Yamagami, 39, and Norihide Ushirozako, both of Osaka,
in January 2011 at Los Angeles International Airport as part of an
undercover investigation known as Operation Flying Turtle.
The 55
turtles and tortoises were hidden in snack food boxes found in a
suitcase. Federal prosecutors argued the measures taken by the men
constituted animal cruelty and the reptiles posed a risk of transmitting
salmonella.

Most of the animals are protected by an international endangered species agreement and can only be imported with a permit.
After
the animals were smuggled into the U.S., Yamagami sold or traded them
at pet shows and used the proceeds to purchase snakes, turtles and
tortoises native to North America, which were then smuggled to Japan for
resale, authorities said.
Yamagami paid couriers to hide wildlife
inside luggage, according to court documents. Authorities believe
Yamagami and his couriers took more than 40 trips to and from the U.S.
between 2004 and 2011.
Ushirozako also pleaded guilty in August to
a smuggling charge and was released from federal custody after being
sentenced to time served, which totaled about seven months.